Learning Organizations & Organizational Transformation

Sharon Glazer, Ph.D.

Preparing for Next Week & Yavneh

WS graduates to speak on WSPrep for Sim. 9.1Discuss written presentation of Yavneh results

Effective TeamsInformal atmosphereClear purpose; tasks understood and

acceptedTask-relevant discussions; good listening Participation: free expression of ideas &

feelingsOpen communicationCivilized disagreement/conflict around ideasSelf-assessingConsensus decision-makingShared leadershipClear roles and work assignments

Team Building ActivitiesActivities related to one or more individualsActivities oriented to the group’s operations

and behaviorsTask accomplishmentsTeam relationshipsOrganization processes

Activities affecting the group’s relationship with the rest of the organization

Types of TeamsGroups reporting to the same managerGroups involving people with common goalsTemporary groups formed to accomplish a

specific, one-time task Groups consisting of people whose work

roles are interdependentGroups with no formal links but whose

collective purpose requires coordinationAll teams are groups, not all groups are

teams.

Types of Team BuildingFamily group diagnostic meeting

A set of activities designed to understand the current structure, process, and effectiveness of the team

Family group team-building meetingA set of activities designed to address

and improve a specific aspect of team functioning

GroupthinkExercise

RolesRole Analysis TechniqueRole Negotiation

(Go to Word Example)

Comprehensive OD Interventions

Large Group InterventionsFuture Search Conference (Weisbord)Open-Space Meeting (Owen)Open System Planning (Beckhard)Confrontation Meeting (Beckhard)Real-Time Strategic Change (Jacobs)The Conference Model (Axelrod)

Future Search Conferences

4-6 committee members plan~50-60 reps of whole system/~10 groups(Environmental Appreciation)

Changes; Probable future**System Analysis: Self, company, society

History (patterns and meaning)Present (ext. & int. factors shaping future)Future

*Integration of system and environmentConstraintsStrategies & action plans

Large-Group Meeting Assumptions

• Organization members’ perceptions play a major role in environmental relations.

• Organization members must share a common view of the environment to permit coordinated action toward it.

• Organization members’ perceptions must accurately reflect the condition of the environment if organizational responses are to be effective.

• Organizations cannot only adapt to their environment but also proactively create it.

Large-Group Method Application Stages

Preparing for the large-group meetingIdentify compelling meeting themeSelect appropriate stakeholders to

participateDevelop relevant tasks to address meeting

themeConducting the meeting

Open Space Methods Open Systems Methods

Following up on the meeting outcomes

Open Space MethodsSet the conditions for self-organizing

Announce the theme of the sessionEstablish norms for the meetings

Volunteers create the agendaCoordinate activity through

information postings

Open Systems Methods• Map the current environment facing the org.• Assess org’s responses to environ. expectations.• Identify the core mission of the organization.• Create a realistic future scenario of environmental

expectations and organization responses.• Create an ideal future scenario of environmental

expectations and organization responses.• Compare the present with the ideal future &

prepare an action plan for reducing discrepancy.

Confrontation Meeting1-day meetingcross-section of management; high cohesion and

trustStep 1: Climate setting – Goals, ground rulesStep 2: Data gathering – heterogeneous group of

6-8 people (bosses and subordinates separate)Step 3: Information sharingStep 4: Prioritizing & Action Planning (regroup by

functional team)Step 5: Follow-up by top managementStep 6: Progress Review

Grid OD- A Normative Model

Organization-level approach that advocates a “one best way” to develop organizations

Built on research exploring organization effectiveness

Cornerstone of the model is a belief that the best managerial style emphasizes both a ‘concern for people’ and a ‘concern for task/production’

5-10 years to implementImproved performance; reduced costs;

managers rated more highly

Grid OD programPrephase 1: select managers who will become

instructorsPhase 1: Grid Seminar to all managers of the org; self-

awareness (mgrl style, p-s, comm. skills)Phase 2: Teamwork development: analyze team culturePhase 3: Intergroup development: analysis of ideal

intergroup relationships and share Phase 4: Developing Ideal strategic corporate model:

Defining excellence at the topPhase 5: Implementing Ideal Strategic modelPhase 6: Systematic Critique: Measure results

Real Time Strategic Change

3-day large-group eventNew strategic directionLeadership team developed draft strategyLeadership team receives feedbackKey ingredients:

Identify/clarify important issuesAgree on purpose of change effortWho needs to be involvedInfluence over strategy developmentInfo. needed to do quality workProcesses for supporting real-time strat. changes

Stream AnalysisBased on Porras & Robertson model:

Social factorsTechnologyPhysical settingOrganizing arrangements

Actions are OD interventions directed at solving core problems

Changes in the above lead to beh. changes & org. improvements

Survey FeedbackStep 1: Top mgmt involved in planningStep 2: data collected from all membersStep 3: Data fed back to top execs and then

down through the hierarchy (“interlocking chain of conferences”)

Step 4: recipients of feedback (a) interpret results, (b) plan constructive changes (c) plan how to introduce results to next lower level

Effective Feedback Session

Accept data as validAccept responsibility for problems

identifiedCommit to solving problems

Cultural Analysis

Values

Assump-tions

Artifacts

Corporate CultureStrategy-Culture Fit (strategic

alignment)Strategy: actions to achieve major

objectivesCulture: provides shared values,

norms; answers “why things are done the way they are.”

Learning OrganizationsReduce organizational layersInvolve all employees in continuous self-

directed learningCreate knowledge for actionConstant readiness for change (some org.

change, without considering why)Continuous planning (up-down; bottom-up)Improvised Implementation (experiment)Action Learning

Third-Wave OrganizationsFlexibleCreativeInnovative

Organization Transformation

Abrupt, drastic change to total structure

Directive not participative